Europe must switch to ‘war-mode’ defence production, Polish minister says

Kosiniak-Kamysz urges shift in defence industry

Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland’s Minister of National Defence, has called on Europe to adopt a “war-mode” mentality in its defence sector. Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum, he said, “I am actually an advocate for the war-mode when it comes to the production in defence sector.” Kosiniak-Kamysz pointed to Russia’s current approach, noting that Moscow shifted to wartime defence production before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “This is what the Russian Federation does at the moment. We cannot overlook this fact,” he said.

Russia is projected to spend 7.5 percent of GDP on its armed forces in 2026. It produced roughly 7 million artillery, mortar, tank, and rocket rounds in 2025, according to a recent Estonian intelligence report. Russian forces use between 10,000 and 15,000 rounds per day in Ukraine.

Europe’s defence industry has suffered from decades of underinvestment and fragmentation. Russia is outpacing the EU in ammunition production. A leaked report on Europe’s defence readiness says 27 EU member states plus Norway are expected to produce just 2 million 150mm ammunition shells this year.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said “time has come” for Europe to prepare to defend itself by multiplying defence production. He warned that failure would be a “costly” mistake for Europeans. “It’s one of the disadvantages, but also it will impact (and) affect us negatively in future generations,” he said. Poland is among the biggest spenders on defence relative to GDP, spending 4.7 percent on core defence capabilities, according to US envoy to NATO Matthew Whitaker.